Ya Kris, we know your a MoPar guy through and through. That's why you have to have an extra vehicle around for a back up as one is usually broke down.

My Chevy has over 170K miles on it. I have put about 55K on it. Other than brakes and front shocks, this tail gate handle is the first item I have had fail, and that includes lights. Have not replaced a DRL yet and even took out a Coyote with the right front. Broke a bracket but the same light is still working. A lot is how the item is treated. If I would not have pulled the handle harder than normal it in all likely hood not broke either.

As for replacement time, I will put this part in myself. With 170K + miles that little piece of fiberglass that blocks the access to the rod clips will be cut out and glued back in. Not going to split the tail gate as that is just plain stupid. That little piece is the difference between .3 hr. and 2 hrs.

The basis of this whole problem is the manufacturing philosophy of planned obsolecents.

This is found in everyone from Harley to Kohler to Black and Decker and so on and . . .. Your not going to make any money in durable goods if everyone has one and the market is saturated. But if they soon break, then​ they are forced to either buy another one or buy a replacement part at an inflated price.

I drive an older Volvo 240, if I am not making it faster I have nothing else to do. I have already replaced the 5 things that could possibly brake did complete suspension + bushings all around, engine overhaul with all new gaskets and seals, brakes, and all the front end parts. Best 500.00 I ever spent.

As a side note, the part I purchased was not from RockAuto. From a private seller with high satisfaction ratings. Only thing about brand is Aftermarket direct replacement. Even going with OEM there is a 90% chance it was made over seas too. How many different companies do you think will make the same exact part? Even the new model parts are farmed out a lot. There was a place called Wirecraft in the local industrial site. The built the wire harnesses for 2 models of the new GM vehicles. When those orders were filled they would build for another auto maker or parts supplier. When the owner retired he sold the company.

I've only had one issue so far buying from internet stores. I picked up a pair of front wheel bearing/hub assemblies for my 05 Dakota for $71 to my door. They fit & worked great, for about 6 months. Then they started to howl so bad that I couldn't hear the radio any more. When I took them out they still felt fine turning them by hand. I replaced them with a better quality from my local shop, $93 each.

As a side note, the part I purchased was not from RockAuto. From a private seller with high satisfaction ratings. Only thing about brand is Aftermarket direct replacement. Even going with OEM there is a 90% chance it was made over seas too. How many different companies do you think will make the same exact part? Even the new model parts are farmed out a lot. There was a place called Wirecraft in the local industrial site. The built the wire harnesses for 2 models of the new GM vehicles. When those orders were filled they would build for another auto maker or parts supplier. When the owner retired he sold the company.

The GM could be foreign made, but it is manufacured to a higher standard with better materials. Don't sneeze while holding a Dorman handle, you might bend it in half. Every Dorman I have installed in an Avalanche had to be bent to make the lock work.

I am also a fan of buying local. Problem I'm finding is "local" doesn't have it. I understand the cost of inventory & the complexity of maintaining it but that is really not the purchaser's problem, is it?

Steel mills were king here when I was younger & because of the need to serve that industry you could find ANYTHING locally. With that industry mostly gone, businesses have also gone & remaining ones have much smaller inventories.

Story, I'm restoring a 70 Plymouth & buying as much as I can locally but of course have to make many purchases on line. If I get a bunch of parts locally, more than half come form overseas. Purchases I make on line, more than half come from overseas. Basically no difference.

Ya Kris, we know your a MoPar guy through and through. That's why you have to have an extra vehicle around for a back up as one is usually broke down.

My Chevy has over 170K miles on it. I have put about 55K on it. Other than brakes and front shocks, this tail gate handle is the first item I have had fail, and that includes lights. Have not replaced a DRL yet and even took out a Coyote with the right front. Broke a bracket but the same light is still working. A lot is how the item is treated. If I would not have pulled the handle harder than normal it in all likely hood not broke either.

As for replacement time, I will put this part in myself. With 170K + miles that little piece of fiberglass that blocks the access to the rod clips will be cut out and glued back in. Not going to split the tail gate as that is just plain stupid. That little piece is the difference between .3 hr. and 2 hrs.

My 2003 Z-71 has over 207,000 miles and I put all but 9,000 on it. Only batteries, light bulbs, door handle, tailgate handle, plastic keepers inside the tailgate, and lots of gasoline and regular oil changes...oh tires and brakes too. Never replaced the sparkplugs yet!

Yours with 207K has a lot of life left in it. Another reason why I traded a gas sucking Dodge for a Chevy. Got twice the truck and a 7 - 8 MPG avg. increase in mileage. Real close to double the mileage from the Chevy.

I had a little "Accident" awhile back with my Ford Expedition,I tried real hard to take out 4 deer at the same time and managed to get 1(It ran away)The stupid thing went right on under the expedition and hit the rear axle,The combo of the deer and me standing on by brakes broke both lower control arms which then allows the rear axle to pivot up or down till the ujoint bangs on the driveshaft,Well I limped it a few miles back home and called around for control arms,Mine had almost completly rusted out is why this happened,The ford ones like the originals are u shaped with the u facing up for all the water and junk to sit in and rot it out and the cheapest our local ford dealer could do was $350 each,They werent even gonna use genuine ford parts ,they were going right up town and getting them from Orileys auto parts which I had called first and the cost from them $125 ea,I guess it costs alot to drive across town!!I ordered online thru Amazon and got ones that were square tube with fully welded ends and powder coated with Nylon bushings for $72 for the pair delivered to my door.Now I am going thru its first ever real break down,At 258,000miles one of the hydraulic timing chain tensioners blew a seal and the chain loosened enough to jump time,It misses real bad and barely runs if it will run at all ,I am NOT looking forward to changing out the timing chains on it and all the other parts that go with it,Ford says over $800 for the timing gears and chain set and about $1,200 labor minimum probably be more,I have found them for as little as $75 thru Amazon Its NOT lots of fun but I can and will do it myself Thats why I have a full shop in the first place, I am not gonna just take the cheapest set I will look at a bunch of them before I buy